X-Message-Number: 26866 From: "Kitty Antonik Wakfer" <> Subject: Anonymity and Cryonics Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 00:22:39 -0400 CryoNet is not an appropriate forum on which to discuss anonymity in general. Therefore my responses to several individuals here who have used this list to do so can be seen at MoreLife Yahoo message # 1086 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/morelife/message/1086 One poster did raise the subject of anonymity in relationship to cryonics. Anthony (I will assume that Walpurg is his last name) : > "Finally - what of the cryonicists who have requested anonymity? Are > there any valid reasons for this request, or should it be denied? First would be best to determine "valid" to whom. If the person who has arranged for hir own or another's cryopreservation does not have sufficient confidence in hir own decision to defend it against associates and relatives, then that shows a weakness in that person's basic character and/or knowledge of cryonics practices. (I won't use the term "friends" in this context since how can someone who adamantly opposes one's well considered ideas also be a "friend"?) Now maybe it's possible that a person considers the costs (time and money) to defend oneself legally to be too great to make such arrangements widely known ahead of time. But my response would be that a well constructed written public notification of intent and demonstration of continued intention would make legal challenges far less likely. There's also the very real consideration that anonymity by those who profess support of and desire for cryopreservation weakens the entire move toward acceptance by others and greater availability (and also legality in this current society of governments). If those who want cryopreservation don't stand up publicly (with clear identification of themselves) and make this known, how can they expect to really be taken seriously by those others who do not (yet) truly understand the scientific possibilities and longterm happiness potential. > Is it > not a person's right to withhold information from others? The discussion of the concept of "rights" is not part of the discussion of anonymity in cryonics. Anthony and others can read Paul's (and my ideas) on this subject in "Social Meta-Needs: A Radical Basis for Optimal Human Interaction" http://selfsip.org/fundamentals/socialmetaneeds.html This essay makes it clear that we neither support the use of physical force to obtain information from individuals nor do we support its use to prevent individuals from obtaining information by any means that do not violate others. See my responses at the referred MoreLife Yahoo post for the general discussion of anonymity. In regard to cryonics, I don't think in the longrun it benefits the cryonics service providers to allow anonymity by those with whom it has contracts for cryonic preservations (those still alive) and those who are now in that state. If I were operating a cryonics service, I would not accept anonymous clients and as a client, I would prefer my cryonics provider to reject all anonymous clients. If the acceptance (and usage) of cryonics does not grow, there will not be enough of a basis of people with interest and financial resources in the future (?50 years or more) to begin the task of "return". Nanotechnology should not be thought of as some "savior" that will somehow make all things possible, no matter how little support by people exists. I do know of one individual who wanted anonymity after his cryopreservation (and obtained it) but did not conceal his interest or activity in cryonics before his legal death. From our intimate knowledge of this person, it seems that his reason may have been that he did not want to lend his name as tacit approval of the organization that was used for the procedure and storage. However, I think it would have been far better had he made a public statement of his criticisms of that organization upon his contract signing. **Kitty Antonik Wakfer MoreLife for the rational - http://morelife.org Reality based tools for more life in quantity and quality Self-Sovereign Individual Project - http://selfsip.org Rational freedom by self-sovereignty & social contracting Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=26866